Private: Resolution on Health Care

New Action Commentary: We supported this resolution, particularly the last resolve which puts us on record supporting a national demonstration in Washington, DC which informs our elected officials of both parties that universal public health care is a national priority. New Action attempted to include a call for a single payer plan at the UFT Executive Board. This is the most advanced demand to address health care reform. Despite the fact that the AFT and the AFL-CIO, at its recent convention, clearly endorsed single payer, the UFT Executive Board voted down this important amendment to an otherwise good resolution oh health care reform.

HEALTH CARE REFORM RESOLUTION
-Passed at the SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 UFT EXECUTIVE BOARD
The following resolution was co-authored by New Action.

Whereas like education, health care must be a fundamental human right provided to all, rather than a commodity which is limited to those with means to purchase it; and

Whereas the United States is unique among Western democracies in our failure to enact a system of universal health insurance that provides all American citizens with the access to quality health care which should be our birthright; and

Whereas the failure to develop a system of universal health insurance has led to a crisis in American health care characterized by unabated and out of control cost increases, declining public access and growing issues of quality; and

Whereas although American spending on health care far outstrips all other nations, our health care system has been ranked by the World Health Organization as 37th in the world, behind such countries as San Marino, Andorra and Malta, among others; and

Whereas the current configuration of American health care benefits special interests, such as oligopolistic pharmaceutical corporations and insurance carriers which are enjoying extraordinary profits while a growing number of Americans without health insurance and access to quality health care suffer; and

Whereas these same special interests are now in the forefront of efforts to oppose the enactment of real health care reform; and

Whereas against these special interests, teacher unions and the entire American labor movement have long fought for real health care reform, because we understand that the well-being of American working people and our children will never be secured without universal access to quality health care; and

Whereas just as free public schools, supported by the taxpaying public, are the foundation of the American system of universal K-12 education, public health insurance is essential for the development of an American system of universal health insurance; and

Whereas contrary to the misleading and hysterical rhetoric of opponents of health care reform, the United Statesalready supports succesful, effective public health insurance programs for particular constituencies – preeminently Medicare for senior citizens – and these public health insurance programs ensure that quality health care is provided to those whom they cover; and

Whereas to address the current crisis in a real and meaningful way, health care reform must extend public health insurance so that all Americans have health insurance – in effect, creating a Medicare program for all Americans; and

Whereas it is essential that health care reform not diminish or reduce the services and the insurance currently available either under public health programs such as Medicare or negotiated through collective bargaining, but extend those services and insurance to the uninsured; be it therefore

Resolved that the United Federation of Teachers join with our national union, the American Federation of Teachers, and the entire American labor movement in supporting real health care reform with a full and robust public health insurance component, in order to bring quality health care to all American citizens; and be it further

Resolved that the UFT communicate to all elected officials from New York State our full support for real health care reform; and be it further

Resolved that the UFT join with NYSUT, the AFT, and the entire American labor movement to call for a national demonstration of Solidarity Day 3 in Washington, DC, in support of such reform.